{{Short description|American politician (born 1959)}} {{use mdy dates |date=May 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Jim Runestad |office = Chair of the Michigan Republican Party |term_start = February 22, 2025 |term_end = |predecessor = Pete Hoekstra |successor = |office1 = Member of the Michigan Senate |term_start1 = January 1, 2019 |term_end1 = |predecessor1 = Mike Kowall |successor1 = |constituency1 = 15th district (2019–2023)<br>23rd district (2023–present) |state_house2 = Michigan |district2 = 44th |term_start2 = January 1, 2015 |term_end2 = December 31, 2018 |predecessor2 = Eileen Kowall |successor2 = Matt Maddock |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|3|1}} |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |party = Republican |education = Central Michigan University (BA) }} '''Jim Runestad''' (born March 1, 1959) is an American politician. A Republican,<ref>{{Cite web |title=July 19, 2024 - Sen. Jim Runestad (R) {{!}} OFF THE RECORD |url=https://www.wkar.org/shows/record/episodes/july-19-2024-sen-jim-runestad-r-off-the-record-l3na8s |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=WKAR Public Media |language=en}}</ref> he has been a member of the Michigan State Senate, representing the 23rd district, since 2023, and is the Chair of the Michigan Republican Party since 2025. He was previously a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2015 to 2018. In 2020, Runestad was one of 11 Republican state senators in Michigan who supported Donald Trump's effort to overturn the result of the presidential election and remain in power.
==Early life== Runestad was born March 1, 1959. He has a bachelor's degree in education from Central Michigan University. Since 2004, he has been the owner of Runestad Financial Associates, an insurance business.<ref name=MichManual>{{cite web |url=https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/michiganmanual/2021-MM-Chapter3.pdf |title=State Senator JIM RUNESTAD (R–15th Senate District) |work=Michigan Manual |edition=2021-2022 |pages=138, 172 }}</ref>
==Political career== Runestad was an Oakland County Commissioner for three terms, as well as chairman of the Public Services Committee and Planning and Building Committee, before being elected in 2014 to the Michigan House of Representatives from 44th District, covering Highland, Milford, and Springfield, White Lake townships, and part of Waterford Township.<ref name=MichManual/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/news/2016-04-13/News/Runestad_announces_reelection_bid.html |title=Runestad announces re-election bid|publisher=Spinal Column |access-date=10 December 2016|date=13 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220110931/http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/news/2016-04-13/News/Runestad_announces_reelection_bid.html |archive-date=December 20, 2016 }}</ref> He was reelected to the state House in 2016.<ref name=MichManual/>
Runestad was elected to the Michigan State Senate in November 2018.<ref name=MichManual/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/07/oakland-county-midterm-election-2018-senate-15/1911329002/|title=Jim Runestad wins the Senate 15th District seat|website=HometownLife|language=en|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref>
In the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump; Biden won by three percentage points in Michigan.<ref name=Mauger>{{cite web |first=Craig |last=Mauger |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/15/trump-pushes-election-claims-michigan-needs-new-legislature/8628299002/ |title=Donald Trump, pushing election claims, says, 'Michigan needs a new Legislature' |work=Detroit News |date=November 15, 2021 }}</ref><ref name=HendricksonBoucher>{{cite web |first1=Clara |last1=Hendrickson |first2=Dave |last2=Boucher |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/06/23/michigan-senate-investigation-election-trump/5035244001/ |title=Michigan Republican-led investigation rejects Trump's claim that Nov. 3 election was stolen |work=Detroit Free Press |date=June 23, 2021 }}</ref> Trump subsequently launched an effort to overturn the election result and remain in power. In January 2021, Runestad was one of 11 Republican Michigan state senators who promoted Trump's false claims of fraud in the 2020 election; in a letter sent to Congress on January 6, 2021, ahead of the formal counting of the electoral votes, Runestad and the other members of the group baselessly suggested that there were "credible allegations of election-related concerns surrounding fraud and irregularities."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/politics/2021/01/more-than-half-of-michigans-gop-senators-air-unfounded-election-concerns-in-letter-to-congress.html |first=Samuel |last=Dodge |title=More than half of Michigan's GOP senators air unfounded election concerns in letter to Congress |work=MLive |date=January 6, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Samuel |last=Dodge |url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/01/attack-at-us-capitol-threatens-constitutional-crisis-says-michigan-state-senator.html |title=Attack at U.S. Capitol threatens 'constitutional crisis,' says Michigan state senator |work=MLive |date=January 7, 2021 }}</ref>
Although being one of the most conservative state senators, Runestad has shown libertarian views, In 2021 and 2022, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and killing of Patrick Lyoya, Runestad sponsored a bill (SB 478) to ban the police use of chokeholds unless the person subdued "posed an immediate threat to the life of the law enforcement officer or another individual."<ref>{{cite web |first=Samuel J. |last=Robinson |url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/04/momentum-for-police-reform-returns-to-michigan-legislature-following-lyoya-killing.html |title=Momentum for police reform returns to Michigan Legislature following Lyoya killing |work=MLive |date=April 22, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/politics/government/2021/05/30/victory-senate-introduce-slate-police-reforms/5246553001/ |title=Victory, Senate introduce slate of bipartisan police reforms |work=Holland Sentinel |date=May 30, 2021 |access-date=May 17, 2022 }}</ref> However, Runestad voiced opposition to some other police reform proposals, which he suggested unduly constrained police.<ref>{{cite web |first=Dave |last=Boucher |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2021/06/14/michigan-lawmakers-police-reform-george-floyd/7634425002/ |title=Michigan GOP and Dems want reform one year after George Floyd's death. Can it happen? |work=Detroit Free Press |date=June 14, 2021 }}</ref>
In March 2022, Runestad supported a Republican-sponsored non-binding resolution that symbolically called for increasing fossil fuel (oil and gas) extraction and the continuing operations of Enbridge Line 5 under Michigan's Straits of Mackinac. Runestad criticized renewable energy supported by Democrats and climate-change activists. The resolution passed 22–14 along party lines.<ref>{{cite news |first=Samuel J. |last=Robinson |url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/03/michigan-gop-senators-pass-resolution-to-keep-line-5-open-increase-domestic-oil-production.html |title=Michigan GOP senators pass resolution to keep Line 5 open, increase domestic oil production |work=MLive |date=March 9, 2022 }}</ref>
In the 2022 election, due to redistricting, Runestad was elected to the Michigan Senate from the 23rd district.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mdoe.state.mi.us/legislators/Legislator/LegislatorDetail/5408|title=Legislator Details - Jim Runestad|publisher=Library of Michigan |accessdate=February 12, 2023}}</ref>
in 2023, Runestad attempted to defeat legislation that would protect LGBT citizens from discrimination; his attempt failed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michigan Senate passes historic bill to protect LGBTQ rights |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/01/michigan-senate-lgbtq-discrimination-protection/69957633007/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Detroit Free Press |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2024, he voted against a bill that would allow Michigan citizens to choose a “non-binary” option on their driver’s license.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-10 |title=Runestad condemns Michigan Democrats’ lame duck agenda |url=https://www.senatorjimrunestad.com/runestad-condemns-michigan-democrats-lame-duck-agenda/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Senator Jim Runestad |language=en-US}}</ref>
Runestad opposes “last-minute” legislation by “lame duck” legislative bodies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-10 |title=Runestad condemns Michigan Democrats’ lame duck agenda |url=https://www.senatorjimrunestad.com/runestad-condemns-michigan-democrats-lame-duck-agenda/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Senator Jim Runestad |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2023, Runestad was the lone vote in the Michigan Senate against recognizing Juneteenth as a Michigan state holiday to celebrate the end of slavery in the US.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mauger|first=Craig|date=May 17, 2023|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2023/05/17/michigan-senate-votes-to-make-juneteenth-a-holiday-republican-lawmaker-opposes/70228371007/|title=Michigan Senate votes to make Juneteenth a holiday, one GOP lawmaker opposes|work=The Detroit News|location=Lansing, Michigan|access-date=March 18, 2023}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.senatorjimrunestad.com/ Jim Runestad] official Michigan Senate Republicans website
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Pete Hoekstra}} {{s-ttl|title=Chair of the Michigan Republican Party|years=2025–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Republican State Chairs}} {{Michigan State Senators}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Runestad, Jim}} Category:1959 births Category:21st-century members of the Michigan Legislature Category:County commissioners in Michigan Category:Living people Category:Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Category:Republican Party Michigan state senators